Is it really true that only GIF images can be embedded in PDF reports?

Will IBI be changing this? It would be nice to be able to embed other formats, eg. EPS, so that when a PDF report is printed, the image, a logo for example, looks good. At the moment, a gif is 72 dpi which does not print very well.

Pietro

While I haven't done it myself, a colleague here has used .svg files in a pdf report. We are on 5.3.2.

I can get more details if you need them. For example, I think he used DevStudio to create the report.

Suzy

Suzy,

Even though the 5.3 documentation states that "PDF reports only support GIF files", I've found that JPG files are supported as well.

I would appreciate finding out how your colleague was able to include a SVG file.

I am using Photoshop to create images in various formats and do not see SVG.

Cheers.

Pietro,

In 5.3.2 and higher, as was mentioned in the previous post, SVG graphics were introduced to address, among other things, printing.

SVG graphics print at typical printer resolutions (at least 300 dpi), and give you the "boardroom quality" results. Note that JPG and PNG are also included output formats in 5.3.2 and higher.

TYPE=HEADING, IMAGE=trillium1.png, POSITION=(+1.000000 +4.000000), $

I get the following error when attempting to embed a PNG image in a PDF formatted report:

(FOC3202) BAD VALUE IN STYLESHEET FILE AT LINE: 39 IMAGE=trillium1.png

I am getting the same results trying to put a SVG file in a PDF report. I have a case opened with IBI, but no response yet. I'm on 5.3.2

Pietro,

I see that what you want to do is embed an image into your reports. If I am not mistaken, a TABLE request supports GIF and JPG. I receive the same error as you if I try to call a PNG or something else.

A GRAPH request supports generating SVG, PNG, etc.

This worked for me:

TABLE FILE CAR
SUM
SALES
DEALER_COST
BY
COUNTRY
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
" "
" "
" "
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM OFF
ON TABLE NOTOTAL
ON TABLE SET ONLINE-FMT PDF

.....

TYPE=TABHEADING,
SIZE=12,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=TABHEADING,
IMAGE=webfocus.jpg,
POSITION=(+0.000000 +0.000000),
$

.....

For now, you might want to consider JPG's instead of GIF's for increased image resolution. The drawback is that JPG's do not support transparencies like GIF's do.

I was trying to put a graph in mine.

Here are some comments and a fex from a colleague who has been playing with svg and pdf:

here's what I have found:
- you must issue an APP HOLD to the directory you are running in
- you need a separate TABLE file for each Image to be included
- you can suppress the output of the TABLE if you NOPRINT
- you lose your headers and footers for your charts when saved
- Image does NOT line up with TABLE... you must specify where it goes
- SVG works with PDF
- PNG works with HTML
- I haven't played much with the spacing

-* File gifpdf2.fex
-SET &ECHO=ALL;
APP HOLD farrs_wf
-*
GRAPH FILE CAR
SUM SALES
BY COUNTRY
ON GRAPH HOLD AS CARSVG1 FORMAT SVG
END
-RUN
-*
GRAPH FILE CAR
SUM CNT.MODEL
BY COUNTRY
ON GRAPH HOLD AS CARSVG2 FORMAT SVG
END
-RUN
-*
TABLE FILE CAR
SUM SALES NOPRINT
BY COUNTRY
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
TYPE=REPORT, IMAGE=carsvg1.svg,
POSITION=(2 0), SIZE=(5 3), $
ENDSTYLE
ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT PDF OPEN NOBREAK
END

TABLE FILE CAR
PRINT MODEL NOPRINT
IF RECORDLIMIT EQ 1
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
TYPE=REPORT, IMAGE=carsvg2.svg,
POSITION=(2 3), SIZE=(5 3), $
ENDSTYLE
ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT PDF CLOSE
END

We are using WFServlet on unix with Apache and Tomcat. farrs_wf is the document root for a virtual host (for this user) running on a different port (not port 80) that we use for each user's DevStudio "sandbox". All data and programs on unix. No MRE, BID, RC, etc. This request is run from DevStudio, not self-serve.

Hope this helps.

Suzy

Suzy,

My original question was regarding images, not images created by GRAPH requests.

Thank you for the information.

Regards,

Pietro.

Another thing to know about SVG format is measurement units for SVG are inches and the measurement units for every other format is pixels. Which is why I could not get my SVG Graph to work.
ON GRAPH SET VAXIS 3.5
ON GRAPH SET HAXIS 11.0

Live and Learn.